Loose-leaf binder.



PATENTED JAN. 24,1905.

v w. P. PITT.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLIUATION FILED ARR. 8, 1904;

- UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. PITT, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE IRVING-PITT MFG. CO., OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 780,618, dated January 24, 1905.

' Application filed April 8, 1904. Serial No. 202,146.

To all whont it may concern! Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. PITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Inde pendence, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to loose-leaf binders; and it consists more particularly in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of the locking device for adjustably securing the follower at any desired point on the posts of the binder.

In orderthat the invention may be readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a loose-leaf binder embodying my invention.

* Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on line II II of Fig, 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my improved locking device, taken on line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows the several parts of the locking device in perspective.

In said drawings, 1 designates a horizontal base composed of suitable material and covered, preferably, with canvas 2.

3 designates a pair of parallel vertically-arranged posts riveted at their lower ends to the rear portion of the base.

4 designates a follower having two apertures 5 at its rear portion for the reception of the posts, upon which latter the follower is adjustably and removably arranged. The follower, like the base, is preferably covered with canvas 6. I

7 designates a metallic strip folded at its central longitudinal portion to form members 8, having an intervening space 9. Strip 7 forms the rear portion of the follower, the flap 10 of the latter being flexibly secured to the strip by canvas 6.

11 designates a resilient locking-plate operatively arranged in space 9 between the two members of strip 7. Said locking-plate is cut out at 12 to render it more resilient and has a semicircular marginal recess 13 at one end for frictional engagement with the adjacent post 3. The opposite end of the locking-plate 7 to prevent vertical movement of. the eccen-' tric. The upper portion of eccentric 15 projects through a circular opening 17 in the upper member of strip 7 v of sufl icient diameter to prevent the eccentric when turned on the post from contacting with the edge of said opening. The upper end of the eccentric terminates in a reduced segmental portion 18 for the reception ofan operating-lever 19, provided at one end with an aperture 20, which snugly fits segmental portion 18, so that when the raised handle 21 of the lever is grasped and swung aroundto the position indicated I by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the eccentric will turn therewith. tracts the locking-bar out of frictional contact with the opposite post so the follower can be removed from the posts for the insertion or extraction of loose leaves or sheets. The follower is then replaced upon the posts in contact with the uppermost sheet, where it is reliably held by turning the lever back to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1. The turning of the lever operates the eccentric, causing it to force the locking-plate into frictional contact with the opposing post with sufficient pressure to bow said locking-plate, as shown in Fig. 2.

With the above construction it is apparent that after the binders have been filled until the upper surfaces of the followers are about flush with the upper terminals of posts 3 there will be no projecting parts to interfere with said The turning of the eccentric revening space, said members having registering apertures near their opposite ends for the reception of said posts, one of said apertures being larger than the others, an eccentric journaled upon one of the posts arranged in said intervening space and having one end extending upwardly through the large aperture, means engaging said extended end for turning the eccentric, and a resilient lockingplate having an apertured end which engages the eccentric and a recessed end which engages the adjacent post with suflicient pressure to bow said locking-plate in the intervening space when the eccentric is turned in a certain direction.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base, posts projecting therefrom, a follower on said posts, a strip secured to one end of said follower folded at its central longitudinal portion to form an upper member and a lower member, said members having registering apertures for the reception of the posts, one of the apertures in said upper member being larger than the others, an eccentric journaled upon one of said posts projecting upwardly through said large aperture and terminating in a reduced segmental portion, a peripheral flange on the lower end of the eccentric, a lever J. W. BOLING, F. G. FIsorIER. 

